Portland’s Nostrana Earns Rare Honor

A Portland favorite just earned a rare honor in Italy that only one other U.S. restaurant has ever received.

9:00 AM EST on December 3, 2025

Cathy Whims, chef and owner of Nostrana in Portland. Courtesy of Nostrana.

Helmed by chef and owner Cathy Whims, Nostrana in Portland has officially joined the Unione Ristoranti del Buon Ricordo, Italy’s historic association of restaurants that safeguard and celebrate regional cuisine. The team received the news in Milan at the annual ceremony on November 25 and is considered the second U.S. restaurant ever welcomed in the Unione’s sixty year history. The only other American restaurant to earn this distinction is Terre in Brooklyn.

Nostrana’s Insalata Nostrana, served for twenty years and now part of Buon Ricordo. Photo credit: John Valls

The Unione accepts only one non-Italian or non-EU restaurant each year, which makes Nostrana’s inclusion especially meaningful. The association was founded in 1964 to honor restaurants that demonstrate respect for regional tradition, craftsmanship, and hospitality. Each member creates a signature dish with an accompanying hand painted ceramic plate that is gifted to guests who order it. The plate is meant to be a buon ricordo, meaning a good memory in Italian.

The commemorative Buon Ricordo plate featuring Insalata Nostrana. Courtesy of Nostrana.

For Nostrana, the dish is the Insalata Nostrana, which the restaurant has served since it opened twenty years ago. The salad appears on the commemorative plate presented at the ceremony. Beginning January 1, 2026, guests will be able to order a three or four course Buon Ricordo menu that includes the salad. Those who choose the experience will take home the plate, just as diners do in Italy.

Cathy Whims, chef and owner of Nostrana and a six time James Beard Award finalist, trained under Marcella Hazan and returns to Italy frequently to lead culinary tours. It was her long relationship with cooks, growers, and Italian food communities that helped forge the connection with the Unione.

The Nostrana team and partners in their ongoing collaboration. Photo credit: John Valls

For the ceremony, Nostrana partnered with the Culinary Breeding Network to source Verona varietal radicchio from seed saver Andrea Ghedina. The radicchio was harvested in Sant’Anna near Venice, taken to Parma, and driven to Milan for the event.The evening in Milan opened with an aperitif hosted by Buon Ricordo and Franciacorta, followed by dinner at Oasi. The team worked with renowned chef Luigi Gandola from Ristorante Salice Blu in Bellagio, Lake Como.